Solar and Insulation Solutions are fastest route in energy saving quest for Abu Dhabi and Gulf region - Kingspan

Kingspan Insulated Panels Middle East General Manager Ali El-Zein said the Abu Dhabi Government's heightened regulations was music to the ears of energy conservationists and the construction industry, suggesting the 'Entidama pearl ratings system' (see below) and associated energy savings could be achieved through the use of quality insulation to compliment other building formats (such as building positioning) for both commercial and residential properties.

Commenting on this week's announcement, Mr El-Zein said: "The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council's new code is fantastic news and something which the whole industry is keen to embrace. Both solar paneling and insulation is increasingly being more valued in this region for the significant impact to energy savings which can be achieved.

The performance advantages of Kingspan Insulated Panel Systems are well recognised by property investors, building owners, designers and contractors. Kingspan is working with various Abu Dhabi institutions on a number of projects including government buildings and schools.

Kingspan's range of insulated panels and solar solutions have been successfully used across the globe on retail, distribution, commercial, industrial, leisure, hospital and education projects and are awarded for their 'eco-performance'. Roof and wall insulation keeps buildings substantially cooler and channel airflow to decrease the dependency on air conditioning.

Kingspan believes strongly in a three-step process in greenhouse reduction:

Step One - Energy Efficient Buildings

The first step is clearly to reduce energy demand, and one of the simplest ways to do this for both new build and refurbishment projects is to use insulated panel systems, which offer high thermal performance and low air leakage.

Over the past 30 years insulated panels have evolved as a particularly thermal efficient and economic method of constructing the roofs and walls of buildings, and have been extensively used in refurbishment as they are ideal for re-cladding walls and roofs. Insulated panels offer the best long-term insulation performance for lowest thickness and weight and can transform the energy efficiency of a building to current standards with immediate payback on investment.

The reason they are so effective is that high performance insulation is an integral part of the panel system, so excellent U-values are guaranteed. For example, many older buildings have U-values of 0.6 W/m2.K or worse, so over-cladding with an insulated panel system that provides a U-value of 0.25 W/m2.K, will offer a huge energy saving, and rapid payback on investment, as well as improving the aesthetics of the building.

Step Two - Renewable Energy

The development of sources of renewable energy is a crucial part of the strategy to cut carbon emissions - but for these to work they also have to be economically viable.

Kingspan have a comprehensive range of PV integration solutions including factory fitted laminates and BIPV modules. In addition, the range of direct and tilt mounted module solutions are value engineered to optimise capital and installation costs.

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Photovoltaic (PV) Modules generate clean, inflation proof electricity, reduce energy costs and can generate electricity to be fed into the national grid, thereby allowing the building owner to benefit from the feed-in tariff system. Even if the sky is overcast, PV are still proven to produce electricity.

Every kW produced has zero carbon emissions, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint. It reduces dependency on fossil or nuclear fuels and helps to meet corporate social responsibility needs. Such an investment could increase the saleable / rentable value of the building and would enhance Energy Performance and Display Energy Certificate ratings.

Kingspan design, manufacture and supply approximately 20 million m2 of insulated roof, wall and façade panels per annum, and work in close conjunction with leading building investors, owners, developers, designers and construction teams for the property market. This capability has enabled us to introduce a range of fully integrated solar photovoltaic solutions for roofs, walls and façades, from a single, trusted provider, eliminating multi-sourcing, installation and building envelope integration risks.

Step 3 - Be Efficient

The remaining step is to be efficient with our remaining resources - where fossil fuels have to make up the shortfall in energy supply this should be done as cleanly and as sparingly as possible. The first and most significant effort towards this will have already been made if we have ensured that our buildings and appliances are constructed to maximum efficiency; but even more important is the need to continue educating people to safeguard our resources, to think about energy security and to be environment savvy.